In a dramatic move, Mrs Gandhi issued an invitation on the eve of the
bandh to the Akali leadership for tripartite talks to put an end to the
vexatious Punjab problem.

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Gobind Thukral

February 29, 1984

ISSUE DATE: February 29, 1984

UPDATED: April 10, 2014 12:57 IST

Last fortnight's state-wide bandh called by the Akali leadership in Punjab somehow seemed symbolic of the 18-month-long war of attrition: boarded up shop fronts, empty streets and armed Akalis guarding government office entrances while the state security forces maintained a discreet distance. But in other ways the bandh symbolised happier tidings. On the whole, it was peaceful and peace appeared to be finally round the corner.

In a dramatic move, Mrs Gandhi issued an invitation on the eve of the bandh to the Akali leadership for tripartite talks to put an end to the vexatious Punjab problem. The invitation came after a 100-minute meeting between Mrs Gandhi and opposition leaders in New Delhi one day before the bandh was due to take place.

The timing could not have been better. Both sides are evidently tiring of the protracted confrontation and with the moderates among the Akalis seemingly gaining the upper hand, there could not have been a better moment for talks.

In fact, the invitation immediately injected a new mood of optimism among the Akalis. Said a beaming Akali chief Harchand Singh Longowal: "We have noted a change of mood in New Delhi." Other Akali leaders were more cautious in their reactions but agreed that there is now a new ray of hope on the horizon.

For the moderates who are now engaged in their own internal battle with the brooding Bhindranwale and his die-hard militants, the fact that other opposition leaders will be part of the talks was a major victory.

The presence of leaders representing all national parties will certainly give the talks the requisite credibility. But equally important from the Akali viewpoint was Mrs Gandhi's changing attitude on several issues that augur well for the coming negotiations.

"We have noted a change of mood in New Delhi."Harchand Singh Longowal

"I want no confrontation with the Akalis."Indira Gandhi

For the first time, Mrs Gandhi has declared that she is prepared to refer all territorial disputes, including Chandigarh, Abohar and Fazilka, to a special commission and accept any bilateral agreement arrived at between Punjab and Haryana. Similarly, the waters dispute could be referred to a tribunal headed by a Supreme Court judge.

She also offered the Akalis another option on the Chandigarh dispute between the two states. Either her original idea of giving Chandigarh to Punjab and Abohar and Fazilka tehsils to Haryana could be implemented or even a 65:35 division of Chandigarh which "does not alter its architectural character" could be considered.

Even more encouraging was her assertion that "I want no confrontation with the Akalis". Despite the fate of earlier bilateral and tripartite talks, the new concessions have found ready favour with the Akalis. "For the first time, there has been a business like approach to the talks," says former Union minister and key Akali negotiator Surjit Singh Barnala.

The Akalis were considerably encouraged by the opposition leaders' firm no to Mrs Gandhi's suggestion that the Akalis be asked to suspend their morcha before the talks could begin. Instead, they joined her in issuing an appeal to all sections in Punjab to prevent any further violence. Significantly, there was no pre-condition for the talks.

Secret Meetings: Though the latest move came as something of a surprise to most, for experienced Punjab-watchers a softening of attitudes was clearly in the air. For the last two weeks, hectic and secret parleys have been going on almost continuously at various levels.

Before Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) President Gurcharan Singh Tohra met Rajiv Gandhi for high level secret meetings, several rounds of discussions had already taken place between Union Minister for Works and Housing Buta Singh and Akali leaders in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Said a senior Akali leader present at the meetings: "The earlier secret contacts laid the foundation for the right atmosphere for the talks and this has given us considerable hope."

Deflating bicycle tyres during the bandh

The optimism was, for once, hardly marred by the sinister shadow of Bhindranwale. The widening gulf is being seen as a final attempt to isolate him and the hardliners to allow the moderate to assert themselves as the sole negotiating force. Longowal's recent admission that there were fundamental differences between him and Bhindranwale has obviously taken effect.

"Bhindranwale had suggested that motorcycles and arms be purchased on a large scale for killing members of a particular community," says Longowal. "We Sikhs love peace and communal harmony more than anyone else."

Yet, the problem of containing the hardliners is no easy one and their capacity for creating mischief still hovers threateningly in the winter air. It was demonstrated to some extent when Randhir Singh Cheema, acting president of the Talwandi Akali Dal, demanded that five senior Akali leaders (Longowal, Prakash Singh Badal, Tohra, Jagdev Singh Talwandi and himself) should undertake a fast unto death for realisation of the Anandpur Sahib resolution, declare a parallel government and hand over command to Bhindranwale. "The Sikh masses have made enough contribution. Let the leaders now come forward," challenged Cheema.

Violent Measures: On another level, their capacity for violence cannot be underestimated either. During the last fortnight, a major bomb blast killed three people and injured 23 in a cinema in Jalandhar; five people were gunned down in an attempted bank robbery in Hoshiarpur district and grenades were thrown at Amritsar's TV centre and a BSF picket.

More serious was the case of Indian Express correspondent Sanjeev Gaur who was stabbed outside Amritsar's Golden Temple. He was lucky to survive the attack but it indicated that the media had become fair game for the extremists.

But even with that threat looming over Punjab, the bandh clearly proved that the problem is on the threshold of a solution. Except for stray incidents, the Akali leadership showed themselves in control of the situation by ensuring that it went off peacefully and bringing the hardliners to heel.

Latest indications are that the talks will take place on February 14, before Parliament reopens, and the negotiators are not the only ones who will be hoping that the bloody confrontation of the past 18 months will soon be just a tragic memory.

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